Improvement in clothes-wringers



-STfArns PATENT-formen.

llc'noaens. PRINDLE, oF wAsHrNGToN, DrsTRioT 'or COLUMBIA,- Ass'reNoRTO' THE QUEEN CITY VVRINGER COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPRovEMENT 1N Lo'rHEs-wRlNeERs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 135,585, dated February4,1873.,A

To all whom it may concern;

4Beit known that I, GEORGE S. PRINDLE, of Washingtom in the county ofWashington and fin,..-Ip)istrict of Columbia, have inventedv cer-` tainnew and useful Improvements in Clothes- A V/'ringers5 and do herebydeclare that the following. is a full, clear, and exact descriptionlthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making apartof this specicavtion, in -which- ,Figure 1 is "a perspective view of awringer `.containing myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a secj tional view of thedrivin g-gear upon a central.

' .line at a right angle to the roller-shafts. Fig.

3 is a` like view of said gear upon line w avr gofllig 2.v n Fig. @t isa perspective view of theend of the drivii-lg-shaft, the crank, and the:

locking-nut; and Figs.' 5 and 6 are sectional view sboftheclamping-screws, showing two forms of button-pads.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the gures.1

The object of my inventionis to lessen the cost and increase theefficiency of clotheswringers; and it consists principally in theconstruction and combination of the drivinggear, substantially as andfor the purpose hereinafter specified. It consists, further, in themeans employed for locking the crank in position upon the driving-shaft,substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown. It consists,finally, in the employment of an elastic pad upon or within the pivotedbutton of the clamping-screw, substantially as and for the purposehereinafter set forth.

In the annexed drawing, A and A represent two posts, divided at theirlower ends, and connected together by means of a cross-bar, B, whichextends horizontally between the same immediately below theirlongitudinal centers, and a second bar, C, that extends between and isconnected to their upper ends, the whole forming the frame of themachine. From the lower side of the bar C downward to about itslongitudinal center each post A is provided with a slot, a, which, inconnection with the slot of the opposite post, receives and contains theboxes and journaled ends of the rollershafts D. Upon or around theshafts D, between the posts, are placed rubber rollers D of usualforimwhieh rollers are pressed together by means of a bar-sprin g, E,that rests upon and extends between the upper journal-boxes immediatelybeneath the cross-bar C.` A setscrew, F, passing downward througlrthecenter of said bar C, bears against the corresponding portionl of saidspring and I furnishes means whereby the tension of the latter can beincreased at will. Upon the projecting ends of the roller-shafts D aresecured interlocking gear-wheels G and H, the upper of which,-Gr, is of`usual construction, while the lower gear H is provided upon each endwith a flange, h.,

which extends radially outward tofthe periphery of said gear. Y Thespace between thejan ges h being but slightly greater than the length ofthe upper gear Gr, said flanges-act as guides for controlling thelongitudinal position of the 1 upper roller, and effectually prevent theends of the latter from chating against the posts.

- Althongh, as shown in the drawing, twopairs.

of said gear-wheels are employedfonepair lonly is required in order toinsure the perfect v,operation of the rollers. Nea-rits outer .end

'the lower or driving shaft D is reduced. somewhat in size, and uponsuch reduced portion is provided a screwthread, d, which corresponds toa like'thread formed within an opening, yi, that passes through the hubof the crank I. When screwed upon said shaft the inner face of thecrank-hub bears against a shoulder,

d', which terminates the threaded portion d and prevents further motionof said crank in a forward direction, the same being the usual manner ofconnecting said parts. In order to lock the crank upon the driving-shaftand prevent it from becoming accidentally loosened when turned backwardthe threaded end of said shaft is usually made of sufficient length topermit of the application of a nut outside of said crank, said nut beingscrewed hard against the latter, and acting as a jam-nut. It has beenfound, however, that the friction between the jam-nut and crank-hub wassuch that whenever said crank was subjected to a heavy backward strainit would readily unscrew from its shaft and move with it said nut., saidparts moving the same distance longitudinally upon said shaft at eachrevolution. To obviate this difculty I provide for the locking-nut K athread, d, having less pitch than that upon which the crank-hub isscrewed,

by whichmeans the unscrewing of said nut by said crank is renderedimpossible, as the longitudinal movement ofthe latter upon its shaft foreach revolution around the same so much exceeds that of the former that,when once .,lirmly pressed together, any backward motion of said crankcould only be eiected by stripping the thread from said nut or theshaft. When in use the machine is locked to or upon the tub by means ofa set-screw, L, which passes inward through a suitable horizontal slot,a', formed in one of the legs A', and through a threaded -openingprovided within a round metal bar, L,'which bar is contained within acorresponding vertical opening that extends upward from the lower end ofsaid leg to a point above the intersecting slot a. The slot a iselongated laterally at its end so as to permit the screw L to conform indirection to the shape of the tub or other utensil to which the wringeris attached. A button, M, pivoted upon the inper end of each screw L andbearing against the outer side of the tub, prevents, in a great'degree,mutilation of the latter; but when used by careless persons it is oftenthe case that by giving to said screws an undue pressure the buttonswill be embedded within the Wood and injure the appearance, if not theusefulness, of said tub. To obviate this difculty and render effectual aless pressure of the screws I secure upon or Within the face of eachpivoted button a pad, N, composed of rubber or other suitable elasticmaterial, which pad has a sufficient size and thickness to prevent saidbutton from coming into contact with the tub.

Any desired means may be employed for attaching the pad to the button;but it is believed that the most simple and eHect-ive way is, as shownin Figs. 5 and y6, to proyide with, in the face of said buttonl arecess, m, made larger, somewhat, in diameter atits rear side than atits front, and to give to the pad a cor-- 2. In combination with arollershaft and i with a crank screwed upon the end of the same, a jamor locking nut placed upon said shaft outside of said crank .when thescrewthread within said nut and upon which it traverses has a less orliner pitch than the screwthread upon which said crank is placed,substantiall y as and for the purpose shown.

3. In combination with the pivoted button M and clampingscrew L,connected with and operating through the leg A', as shown, the pad N,constructed of or from elastic material and secured to or within saidbutton, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set ny hand this25th day of January, 1873.

G EORGE S. PRIN DLE.

Witnesses:

JOHN R. YOUNG, GEO. TRUESD'ELL.

